Psalm 68:24-35

New International Version

²⁴Your procession, God, has come into view,
    the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary.^(A)
²⁵In front are the singers,^(B) after them the musicians;^(C)
    with them are the young women playing the timbrels.^(D)
²⁶Praise God in the great congregation;^(E)
    praise the Lord in the assembly of Israel.^(F)
²⁷There is the little tribe^(G) of Benjamin,^(H) leading them,
    there the great throng of Judah’s princes,
    and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.^(I)

²⁸Summon your power,^(J) God^[a];
    show us your strength,^(K) our God, as you have done^(L) before.
²⁹Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings will bring you gifts.^(M)
³⁰Rebuke the beast^(N) among the reeds,^(O)
    the herd of bulls^(P) among the calves of the nations.
Humbled, may the beast bring bars of silver.
    Scatter the nations^(Q) who delight in war.^(R)
³¹Envoys will come from Egypt;^(S)
    Cush^[b]^(T) will submit herself to God.

³²Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth,^(U)
    sing praise^(V) to the Lord,
³³to him who rides^(W) across the highest heavens, the ancient heavens,
    who thunders^(X) with mighty voice.^(Y)
³⁴Proclaim the power^(Z) of God,
    whose majesty^(AA) is over Israel,
    whose power is in the heavens.
³⁵You, God, are awesome^(AB) in your sanctuary;^(AC)
    the God of Israel gives power and strength^(AD) to his people.^(AE)

Praise be to God!^(AF)

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Footnotes

Psalm 68:28 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts Your God has summoned power for you
Psalm 68:31 That is, the upper Nile region

2 Samuel 3:12-16

New International Version

¹²Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you.”

¹³“Good,” said David. “I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me.”^(A) ¹⁴Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, “Give me my wife Michal,^(B) whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins.”

¹⁵So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband^(C) Paltiel^(D) son of Laish. ¹⁶Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim.^(E) Then Abner said to him, “Go back home!” So he went back.

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Acts 23:12-35

New International Version

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹²The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy^(A) and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.^(B) ¹³More than forty men were involved in this plot. ¹⁴They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.^(C) ¹⁵Now then, you and the Sanhedrin^(D) petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”

¹⁶But when the son of Paul’s sister heard of this plot, he went into the barracks^(E) and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.” ¹⁸So he took him to the commander.

The centurion said, “Paul, the prisoner,^(F) sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.”

¹⁹The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, “What is it you want to tell me?”

²⁰He said: “Some Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin^(G) tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him.^(H) ²¹Don’t give in to them, because more than forty^(I) of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him.^(J) They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request.”

²²The commander dismissed the young man with this warning: “Don’t tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

²³Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen^[a] to go to Caesarea^(K) at nine tonight.^(L) ²⁴Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”^(M)

²⁵He wrote a letter as follows:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency,^(N) Governor Felix:

Greetings.^(O)

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,^(P) but I came with my troops and rescued him,^(Q) for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.^(R) ²⁸I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.^(S) ²⁹I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,^(T) but there was no charge against him^(U) that deserved death or imprisonment. ³⁰When I was informed^(V) of a plot^(W) to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers^(X) to present to you their case against him.

³¹So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. ³²The next day they let the cavalry^(Y) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.^(Z) ³³When the cavalry^(AA) arrived in Caesarea,^(AB) they delivered the letter to the governor^(AC) and handed Paul over to him. ³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,^(AD) ³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers^(AE) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard^(AF) in Herod’s palace.